It’s that time of the year again. All around the country schools are gearing up for their state standardized test. Some may have already started. Test season is one of the most polarizing times of the year. If you are in education then you know a lot of people, teachers, students, and parents alike, who…
“UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -”The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss Annually, April 22 is Earth Day. Like any other day it is a time to take a pause on our personal investments for the day and commit to doing better throughout the rest…
On May 25, 2020, we were in the midst of a global pandemic and two incidents took place that held up a mirror to our society. The reflection back was not pretty. Christan Cooper, a Black bird watcher, was in Central Park when he crossed paths with Amy Cooper (no relation) a white woman who…
When students are struggling academically, teachers find ways to help them learn. They might reteach a lesson, provide academic interventions, accommodations, or modifications. When students misbehave, many times, the teacher’s focus is to stop the behavior immediately. This may present itself by the teacher giving the student a verbal command to cease the behavior, the…
As a teacher, the period between spring break and summer vacation is the season of awkward conversations. This is the time of the year in which teachers start looking at data and grades and make suggestions for retention. These conversations are never pleasant for a variety of reasons. For one, parents and students rarely want…
This year, Ramadan began on April 12, and it will end on May 12. It is important to note that these dates might sightly vary in some locations. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The month begins with the appearance of the crescent moon and ends with the appearance of the crescent…
As we get further away from the height of the pandemic, there is a desire to get back to “normal” in the school system. And though we have quickly started to romanticize the public education mess that we had before, it would be hard to argue that coronavirus has not made life more difficult. This…
Last week, social media was ablaze due to a parent’s frustration about a consequence her child received. Parent Uju Anya tweeted, “My child got sent to Zoom detention for not paying attention in Zoom 4th grade. Email said here’s the link to access the room to serve detention. I swear I’m trying so hard to…
Transportation is not typically something discussed at length when it comes to education. It is understandable why. How you get to and from school does not have much to do with test scores or instruction. So, conversations about busing often fall by the wayside. With that being said, transportation is arguably the most important aspect…
“Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood” were the words Simon sang during “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” right before he led a press conference as spokesperson of SPRQ Point. There had been an issue with the chirp (a SPRQ Point watch) where the facial recognition software was not recognizing Black and brown faces. Simon had…